pull one's finger out en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Ellipsis of pull one's finger out of one's arse, probably from the notion that one should not sit on one's hands.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic, slang) To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.
You've been sitting there all week. It's time you sorted yourself out and pulled your finger out!
Speaking at Mayor's Question Time on February 24, Sheikh said: "It's time for the Government to pull its finger out and give TfL the funding package it needs in the wake of the pandemic.
2022 March 23, “Network News: Warning of risk to new-builds unless funding settlement agreed”, in RAIL, number 953, page 18:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pulls one's finger out | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| pulled one's finger out | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| pulled one's finger out | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| pulling one's finger out | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (5)
pl brać się do roboty (Translations) · fr se sortir les doigts du cul (Translations) · no få ut fingeren (Translations) · fi ryhtyä hommiin (Translations) · pl wziąć się do roboty (Translations)